South Korea’s Yoon flags belief in free democracy at trial
Yoon is South Korea’s first president to appear at an impeachment hearing
SOUTH Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said he was a firm believer in free democracy as he made his first appearance in an impeachment trial on Tuesday (Jan 21) looking into his shocking and brief imposition of martial law last month.
Yoon arrived at the Constitutional Court in Seoul at the third hearing in a convoy, escorted by his security team. Police blocked nearly every alley leading to the courthouse to ensure protesters remained far away following the Capitol Hill-like rioting that took place in Seoul at the weekend.
“Since I grew up, I have lived with a firm belief in free democracy, especially during my tenure in public life,” Yoon said. “As this is an organisation that exists to protect the Constitution, I hope the justices will take good care of it.”
During the brief imposition of martial law in early December, Yoon banned all political activity. Lawmakers defied the order and overturned the decree at the National Assembly within hours of its declaration.
The appearance marks Yoon’s first comments in public since his martial law decree on Dec 3. The president was last spotted being transferred to the investigators’ office and has released a number of videos to address the nation in the past weeks, but has not spoken live in front of the public since his short-lived declaration of martial law.
Yoon was impeached by parliament on Dec 14 and the court now has six months to decide whether to permanently remove Yoon from office. If the trial lasts around the same time as the previous impeachment of Park Geun-hye, the decision should come in the first half of March.
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To keep the peace outside the courthouse, police have deployed some 4,000 officers, Yonhap News said. Around a hundred of Yoon’s supporters turned violent and stormed the Seoul Western District Court after the president’s appearance there on Saturday, entering the rooms of judges and smashing fittings and fixture before around 40 of them were arrested. The court estimated the damage caused at up to US$486,000.
Yoon is South Korea’s first president to appear at an impeachment hearing. His predecessors Park and Roh Moo-hyun didn’t appear at their hearings. Yoon’s custody was extended by the Seoul Western District Court over the weekend, as investigators seek to question him in a separate criminal probe over insurrection allegations.
Yoon was arrested last week after repeatedly defying investigators’ summons for questioning. The probe team is still struggling to get answers from the president as he refuses to sit down with them. If convicted of insurrection, Yoon could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. There is also the remote possibility of the death penalty.
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The president has taken issue with the validity of the probe launched by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, and said the martial law declaration was within his constitutional powers.
The impeachment case is being reviewed by eight judges. Under South Korea’s constitution, at least six justices must approve Yoon’s removal from office. If the court decides that the impeachment motion is legal and valid, Yoon will be removed from office, triggering a presidential election within 60 days. BLOOMBERG
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